The Ministry of Defence has today [28 September] announced that Tony Douglas, CEO of Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S), will stand down from the role at the end of this year.
After more than two years in post, he will return to the private sector having led DE&S through the delivery of significant project milestones, including the launch of Queen Elizabeth Aircraft Carrier and the negotiations for the procurement of Type 26 and 31e frigates.
Since joining in September 2015, he has also driven a far reaching, major programme of organisational transformation which is making a real difference to the delivery of equipment and support to the UK Armed Forces.
Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon said:
I am personally very grateful for the help and support Tony has provided to me personally and been very impressed by the significant progress he has achieved in his time with the MOD, we will be sorry to lose him.
He is responding to an unexpected opportunity in the private sector which he has decided to pursue and I would not want to stand in his way from taking on that fresh challenge.
I am confident that the momentum he has generated will be maintained by his executive team and, in due course, his successor ensuring that DE&S continues to deliver using the foundations he has put into place.
Tony Douglas said:
It has been a very difficult decision for me to make. I will leave DE&S at the end of 2017 but I will do so having thoroughly enjoyed our time together. We have made very real progress on project delivery and transformation and we should be individually and collectively proud of what we have done.
In part, my decision to leave DE&S has been made easier by the knowledge that it will remain in capable hands. I have decided to leave because I have been offered a compelling opportunity to lead a large and complex organisation in the private sector and in an industry, unconnected with defence, which I know well.
Minister for Defence Procurement, Harriett Baldwin said:
I have very much enjoyed working with Tony Douglas; we have made considerable progress together on the delivery of individual projects and on organisational change.
The foundation he has laid allows that good work to continue and I wish him every success in his new role.
DE&S Chairman, Paul Skinner said:
Tony has been an inspiring leader of DE&S, he has brought real innovation to its commercial approach and the way we do business. We are determined to build further on his impressive achievements.
Tony Douglas joined the MOD in September 2015 after being Chief Executive Officer at Abu Dhabi Airports.
The process to find his successor will begin immediately and an internal interim leadership will be put into place to manage the time that will take.
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